The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold six public hearings in January to gather public comments on the Deep Sea Corals Amendment to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The amendment considers measures to address the potential impacts of fishing gear on deep sea corals in the Mid-Atlantic. The hearings will be held January 12 – 20, 2015, and written comments will be accepted until January 28, 2015. Click here for additional details.

Public Hearing Schedule

The dates and locations of the public hearings are as follows:

• Monday, January 12, 2015, 7:00 p.m., Hyatt Place Long Island/East End, 451 East Main Street, Riverhead, NY 11901, telephone: (631) 208–0002;
• Tuesday, January 13, 2015, 7:00 p.m., The Grand Hotel, 1045 Beach Avenue, Cape May, NJ 08204, telephone: (609) 884–5611;
• Wednesday, January 14, 2015, 7:00 p.m., Washington Marriott at Metro Center, 775 12th Street NW., Washington, DC 20005, telephone: (202) 737–2200;
• Thursday, January 15, 2015, 7:00 p.m., Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront, 3001 Atlantic Ave., Virginia Beach, VA 23451, telephone: (866) 460–7456;
• Friday, January 16, 2015, 7:00 p.m., Ocean Pines Library, 11107 Cathell Rd., Berlin, MD 21811, telephone: (410) 208– 4014;
• Tuesday, January 20, 2015, 7:00 p.m., Internet webinar.
  Webinar Link: http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/corals-hearing/:  Audio: 800-832-0736, Room number 4472108. 
  NOTE: If you have difficulties joining the webinar using the link above, please use this link: http://mafmc.adobeconnect.com/corals-hearing-2/. 

These public hearings are accessible to people with disabilities.  Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aid should be directed to Kathy Collins, (302) 526-5253, at least 5 days prior to the meeting date.

Written Comments

• Written comments will be accepted until January 28, 2015. Written comments may be sent by any of the following methods:
• Email to the following address: kdancy@mafmc.org; Include ‘‘Deep Sea Corals Amendment Comments’’ in the subject line;
• Mail or hand deliver to Dr. Christopher M. Moore, Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, 800 North State Street, Suite 201, Dover, Delaware 19901. Mark the outside of the envelope ‘‘Deep Sea Corals Amendment Comments’’;
• Fax to (302) 674–5399; or
• Online at http://www.mafmc.org/comments/deep-sea-corals.

Contact

For more information, contact Kiley Dancy, kdancy@mafmc.org.